Eat Foods with Melatonin & Improve your Health

While melatonin supplements are found over-the-counter in almost any health food store or pharmacy, there are questions regarding long-term supplementation.

Some experts report that if one uses melatonin supplements for a long period of time, the body will stop both producing and responding to its own melatonin–but there is little science to back this up.

While there have been studies done on long-term melatonin supplementation, there is no solid evidence that suggests melatonin production will decline after long-term use by healthy people. In fact, the reason why melatonin is an over-the-counter supplement is because there have been so many studies touting its safety. (8)

There is, however, science suggesting that long-term side effects of melatonindo not exist. In one meta-analysis of more than 16,000 subjects from 19 studies, melatonin was shown to not lose its effectiveness with continued use. (1)

While supplementation is very safe for short-term circadian sleep resetting and jet-lag, establishing your needs and the correct dosage is very important. Melatonin supplements sometimes come in very large dosages, as high as 10mg per pill, which should be avoided until you know your personal needs.

M.I.T. studies by Dr. Richard Wurtman suggest that an effective dose of melatonin could be as low as .3mg to 1mg, suggesting that only a very small amount of melatonin may be needed to reset our circadian clocks. That said, there are many studies linking numerous health benefits of melatonin supplementation at higher dosages, which I will be addressing in future articles.

Melatonin in Food

Since melatonin is one of the oldest molecules on the planet and every life form is dependent on the light/dark cycles, it is not surprising that melatonin is found in almost every plant. Some plants actually have quite a bit of melatonin and can be used very successfully (instead of resorting to a supplement).

In a study at M.I.T., researchers discovered that tart cherry juice was an effective sleep tonic. In a previous study, while measuring the effects of tart cherry juice for its anti-inflammatory benefits as a sports recovery drink, some of the subjects reported better sleep. (3) Further studies revealed that the tart cherries were very high in botanical melatonin! (2)

One study measured two groups of older men. One group received tart cherries and the other group received a placebo. The tart cherry juice group fell asleep faster and woke up less during the night compared to the placebo group. (2)

To follow up that study, researchers measured melatonin levels after drinking the Montmorency tart cherry juice and, once again, saw improvements in sleep time, quality and efficiency that were very likely due to a boost in melatonin levels. (4) Since this study was published, tart cherries have become quite famous for boosting melatonin and sleep quality, but there are many additional foods to consider to amp up your melatonin levels naturally!

According to Dr. Michael Greger, walnuts, flaxseeds and tomatoes are high in melatonin. Fenugreek and mustard seeds, as well as raspberries and almonds are very high, but the highest of all are goji berries or lycium berries. (5)

Foods With Melatonin Table (ng/100g*):

Foods

Melatonin, ng/100g

Tart (sour) cherry juice concentrate

17,535

Tart (sour) cherries

1,350

Walnuts

270**

Mustard seed

191.33

Corn

187.80

Rice

149.80

Ginger root

142.30

Peanuts

116.70

Barley grains

87.30

Rolled oats

79.13

Asparagus

76.62

Tomatoes

53.95

Fresh mint

49.66

Black tea

40.50

Underripe banana (pulp)

31.40

Broccoli

26.67

Angelica

25.12

Pomegranate

21***

Strawberries

21***

St. John’s wort

19.61

Ripe banana (pulp)

18.50

Brussels sprouts

16.88

Green tea

9.20

Black olives

8.94

Green olives

8.36

Cucumber

5.93

Sunflower seeds

4.26

Concord grapes (skin)

3.24

Red grapes (pulp)

2.27

Red grapes (whole)

1.94

Concord grapes (pulp)

1.92

Concord grapes (whole)

1.71

Red grapes (skin)

1.42

Red wine

1

In general, diets rich in vegetables, fruits and grain products contain considerable levels of dietary melatonin. Vitamins and minerals from these foods contribute to the synthesis of endogenous melatonin.

Coffee and Melatonin

The studies on coffee are mixed. Coffee is a stimulant from the effects of the caffeine, and melatonin is the body’s sleep hormone. Logic will tell you that caffeine will inhibit melatonin production—and it does. Many of the constituents in coffee actually help boost melatonin levels by as much as 32 percent, but other studies suggest that at night the caffeine will block melatonin production—neutralizing the naturally-occurring melatonin in coffee. (7)

De-caffeinated coffee has been shown to boost melatonin levels, so that may be a way to go if you have to have your coffee.

Comments

Research with brain entrainment has resulted in another method to generate melatonin, dhea, and reduce cortisol. The researcher is Dr. Giampapa.
The results of his research with 19 people was:
Melatonin levels increased an average of 97.77%, with positive changes happening in over 73% of the people. Many had improvements of 100, 200, even 300%
In just three days, over 68% had increases in DHEA levels, with an average increase of 43.77%. Several people had increases of 50, 60, even 90%.
Cortisol, on the other hand, was down an average of 46.47%, with positive changes in 68% of the people, and with several people having decreases of 70 or 80%.

So with a recording one could use 1000s of times, one might be able to support a melatonin boost. An available recording is called “Super Longevity” by Holosync (see Amazon).
.
Some forms of meditation may also affect melatonin levels, although I would guess research data is not always available concerning melatonin.

The mode of entrainment used by Giampapa was binaural beats, although possibly isochronic tones could be used. The latter makes it possible to use stereo speakers instead of stereo headsets.

According to the table, these foods provide miniscule amounts of melatonin compared to recommended doses. If 100g of tart cherry juice concentrate contains 17.5mcg of melatonin, you’d need to consume about 1.7kg (3.75 lbs) of tart cherry juice concentrate to equal the lowest effective dose of .3mg of melatonin. That would make probably several gallons of tart cherry juice! There must be something else at play here.

To get .3mg of melatonin from walnuts (the next highest source in the list), you’d have to eat about 111kg (245 lbs) of them. I wouldn’t call this “considerable levels” at all.

For sure brother, I was doing the same math as you lol
I think it stands to reason if we were eating these foods in nature and living in nature we would not need more than these minuscule amounts naturally found in foods. But since we live in artificial environments, hence the ‘need’ for higher therapeutic doses to try and attain some… fathom of homeostasis.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of John Douillard. They are not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, and they are not intended as medical advice. They are intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of John Douillard and his community. John Douillard encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.